


Ridiculous

by itakethewords (BluntBetty)



Series: Exasperation and Affection [2]
Category: Dragon's Bait - Vivian Vande Velde
Genre: Dragons, F/M, Fade to Black, Family, Flirting, Idiots in Love, Immortality, Love, Making Out, Mates, Other, Pining, Unrequited Love, sarcastic selendrile, sassy alys, talk of exile
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-21
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2019-01-20 21:24:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12442137
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluntBetty/pseuds/itakethewords
Summary: How had she missed my looks of adoration and lust in my eyes? I wanted, no, needed her as mine. Alys was mine.





	Ridiculous

**Author's Note:**

> This is the companion piece to Subtle Change. Technically it can be read as stand alone, but you'll enjoy the story more if you read both.  
> This was originally posted on FF.net almost ten years ago and I'm posting here with edited and slightly changed things that make no difference to the actual story.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own plot.

**Ridiculous**

_Originally Posted (FF.net) November 2008-February 2009_

_Edited and Posted (AO3) October 2017_

* * *

 

 

Humans barely registered in my line of vision during my near millennia of existence. Only when they sought me, stirring up trouble by seeking my death or appeasing me with maidens did I associate with them. Imagine my wonderment when one day three hundred years ago, a maiden, sentenced to die by her ilk started throwing rocks at me, shouting for me to hurry and eat her.

I had watched her struggle with her bonds, flying stealthily above the countryside for some time. When she finally took notice of my shadow, she seemed to think I hadn't seen her. How foolish. I was no more interested in the 'sacrifice' of a maiden than one of the many sheep that I had consumed that morning. The rocks started small, pebbles really. But she eventually realized that it would take a stone the size of her fist to peak my interest. I glided smoothly in the air to see what she was planning. A trap, of sorts, I thought. However, I was amused to see a silly human female, barely old enough to give birth to a child, who said she wanted revenge on those who wronged her. Seeing as I had nothing of interest to do at the time, I offered to help her. That effort nearly killed the two of us, yet I obliged to be a companion for travel to her after the ordeal.

There was no denying that we had grown close as we traveled. We created a comfortable bond, one that resembled siblings. Siblings that often fought, but were obviously fond of one another in the end. I took her to the edges of the earth, treating her to the treasures my kind were accustomed to. Dragons were more revered than feared in the east, so I took her to a place where I, and she, could be admired. We went to the deserts and jungles where animals were masters and humans second tier. Allowed her the same comforts in Arabia as we lived with the Sultan and his princesses.

Within the kingdom of fey, there are certain rules with the tier of fey. Each species has their own rules along with the general ones. Fey like faeries and sprites, they cannot enter a human household without their permission. Chimeras cannot change their image more than thrice. And dragons cannot, or rather, should not choose to bond with humans. Humans for dragon folk are a source of food or are slaves, nothing more. Only a handful of dragons have broken this rule, choosing to live in exile with their bonded humans. Half of them are part of my distant family, generations back. Exile from the dragon community is the only punishment. Exile is the most civilized way to deal with the breach in rules, since fey are few and far between as it is, it would be foolish to kill one another.

And despite my self-exile, my attempt to make sure I did not follow in my twice great-uncle's clawprints, I found myself with a fifteen year old chit of a human. Nothing attractive about that. Nothing at all. But she, as all humans in that stage of life, grew up quickly and changed. And in the five years of our companionship, so did I.

Her ratty hair (that was my fault, really) grew out and darkened, she grew into her limbs and developed womanly curves, breasts. Her face and body was less chubby and more lean, bringing out her bone structure. And as I spent more time in my human form, I found myself using my human instincts along with my dragon ones. In my human eyes, she was the perfect mate, an excellent candidate for a wife. But my true form, my superior half, told me she was a toy. And as I would think that, a voice in the back of my head would hiss, _'Yes. The two of us would have an excellent time_ playing _.'_ The voice added a taste of lewd innuendo.  _'Alys would be an excellent playmate...'_  I growled at the voice, willing it to be silent. "Mine," I growled silently, causing Alys to look at me questioningly as we walked to a quaint farmhouse. Instead of answering her look, I grabbed her hand as we neared the elderly human couple.

We exchanged pleasantries and got settled in the barn for the night, but not after a few outbursts and questions from the ever opinionated Alys. I made the mistake of letting her know I had noticed her matured body and that I planned on leaving her soon. She clung to me in desperation. She looked near tears and I wanted to calm her before she went into hysterics, so I reached for her hands which were clinging to my collar. My mother, who was a scryer of the future could not have predicted what would happen next.

Alys pressed her full lips to mine and aligned herself against me, startling me so that it sent the both of us tumbling into the hay. Instinct of not only human, but of dragon, immediately took over and my hands found their rightful place; on her body. A lustful noise escaped my lips, followed by my hands roaming and claiming every inch of what should have been mine alone. Kissing her feverishly, I hissed her name and shivered at her touch—in my hair, running across my chest. I was able to sneak my hand into her bodice and caress her bare skin. And when she breathed my name, reality of what was happening crashed down on me. I carefully chose my words as I moved my mouth from hers to her neck and rolled us so that I was atop her. I broke our contact to look in her eyes a moment, to see the deceit showing, but I saw only lust, her lips still parted slightly and quickly swelling from our actions. My dragon senses smelled her arousal, but I clamped down on my own and gave her a look of contempt.

"Alys, do  _not_  play games with me." I wrenched myself away from her warm body and thought hard about the situation. Every time I glanced at Alys, I was surprised and excited by the look of feral lust in her eyes. She looked ready to either eat me or jump me. My own lust was heightened by her disheveled appearance and bare skin. She knew her legs were showing and didn't bother to cover herself, per usual. A knowing smile played on her lips, quickly disappearing as we began to argue.

I stood, paralyzed as she told me of her thoughts, her feelings that were so complex, I hadn't thought her tiny frame could hold in that much worry and hurt. Alys was always one to speak out to me, tell me what annoyed her as we traveled. How had she been able to keep it all in? My hand twitched, wanting to reach out to her. But before I could take hold of her, Alys shoved me away and nestled herself into the stack of hay where we had been moments before.

I stood above her, watching her cry silently. I found myself numb, shocked. She had admitted to loving me. To wanting to be with me for eternity or die in opposition to being alone. But...how did she really not see what I saw in her? How had she missed my looks of adoration and lust in my eyes? Day after day, my demeanor and my attitude towards her changed. I afforded her liberties that I would have never given anyone else but my mate. Even the fey around the world saw the sheen of magic that surrounded her. Only the time and love I afforded her could have left that sheen, other than mate bonding with her. One had commented and I was worried for days that Alys would ask questions. She hadn't.

Defeated, I found myself a comfortable spot in the stack and settled myself to watch Alys. The smell of rain in the atmosphere was inevitable and the deep growls of thunder were nearby. To proud to admit it, Alys was terrified of thunder. Despite whatever mood we would be in every time, no matter how strong her pride was, she would find comfort in my arms until the storm quieted. It was several minutes into the storm that Alys finally cried aloud, shaking visibly. I automatically went to her and gathered her close, prepared to back away if she rejected me. But instead, she clung to me, whimpering. I rocked her and told her the storm would pass, like always.

Near dawn, the storm quieted and I had to relinquish my hold on Alys. The need to transform was strong and the sun was steadily gaining on the horizon. I whispered to Alys' sleeping form reassurances of my return and reached the field just as I was bathed in pure sunlight. I flew straight into the clouds, drenching myself in the remnants of the night's rain.

As I fed and luxuriated in my dragon form in the daylight, I thought. The sudden urge before noon to see my family shocked me. Not necessarily my mother, who was ill-tempered in the daylight hours, but her uncle, who lived a few hour's flight from the countryside. He and his mate, a human named Isabeau, lived in a secluded area between a salty inlet stemming from the ocean and low mountains. The weather was temperate and balmy this time of year and was snowless, but chilly in winter. Before I had even made up my mind, I found myself gliding south.

 _'Selendrile...what a surprise,'_  I heard in my head, then moments later aloud. I landed in a grassy knoll and was met with another dragon, nearly three times larger than me and had a tarnished gold color to his scales. Beside him in a sturdy rocking chair was who I assumed to be Isabeau. She had the olive toned skin of the other humans in the region, almond eyes the color of bark and looked nineteen now as much as she did two hundred years before. Just glancing at her I could see his magical sheen on her, a color the same as his scales. I didn't bother to look for his Mark.

 _'Jazlynne...Isabeau,'_  I said into his mind. I knew Isabeau heard through their link when she nodded in turn and went back to her book.

_'This can hardly be a social call. Am I right?'_

_'Skipping the pleasantries, great-uncle?'_  I said, amused he saw through me easily.

 _'Selendrile, you are even more obvious than a faerie at twilight. What has brought you here?'_  I looked from Jazlynne to the hazy mountains in the north. I felt like burying myself in iron. Yet, I felt the sudden need to go back. Not necessarily home, since I had no real home, but to Alys, who was home. I took a glance at Isabeau and snorted when Jazlynne became amused and laughed, sounding loud and throaty. I threw him an unamused glare, which was worthless.  _'You've become attracted to a human girl.'_ He was very matter-of-fact, not judgmental, which just made it worse. I wanted to be called names, to be tossed around a bit. To be told to forget the girl and move on, after eating her, naturally.  _'The egg doesn't roll far from the nest, does it?'_

 _'Spare me.'_  I glared at him, settling myself. Meeker, I asked,  _'Why?'_

Jazlynne snickered.  _'Why are you like so many others in the family or why her?'_

I thought for a moment. I knew the answer to one: we were all as crazy as faeries after a magic binge.  _'Why am I in love with Alys, you old fool.'_

 _'Alys is her name? How pretty.'_ I growled, which got him in a more serious mood.

Jazlynne sighed.  _'Why are your scales gold? Why are there fey? Why are humans here? It's just how it is.'_ He gave me a sidelong glance.  _'Besides, I would have been disappointed if you'd chosen a dragon as a mate. You never seemed to enjoy your kin's company for extended periods of time, anyhow.'_

_'You are calling me a freak among fey, correct?'_

_'Just about.'_ I growled again, angry. That wasn't the answer I was hoping for.

"Selendrile?" Jazlynne and I both looked to Isabeau, who'd looked up from her book. I nodded to her.

"Have you ever thought about thinking to yourself, not so much why  _her_  , but rather just,  _why_  ?"

 _'How do you mean? Isn't that what I am trying to ask Jazlynne?'_ I asked, confused.

"Why are you attracted to her?"

_'That's what I am trying to find out, Isabeau.'_

"Tell me. Is it physical? Do you like her hair? Or do you only find yourself lusting after her redblood?" Isabeau smiled at me.

I sat abruptly, shaking the ground with my movement. Jazlynne glared at me. I ignored him and thought. I'd never actually thought to stop and take stock of my feelings. I wasn't one to try and over-complicate things that were complicated by nature. I must have thought for some time, because when I spoke, it startled both Isabeau and Jazlynne, who'd gone into their own little sphere of thoughts.

_'All of it.'_

"What?"

 _'All of her. Her form, her smile...Her stubbornness. All of it.'_  Especially her pigheadedness, which made her full lips pout when we argued...

Isabeau smiled big. Beside her, Jazlynne rolled his eyes.  _'Sounds about right. But what are you going to do about it? She could be your mate.'_

"Are you willing to accept the exile, Selendrile?" asked Isabeau.

_'I live in my own exile as it is. This would be nothing.'_

_'True. It'd be just another excuse for you to not see your mother. Put it off an extra three hundred years and she'll search you out. I wish I could be around for that...'_ chuckled Jazlynne.

"Then make her yours." Isabeau paused. "She feels the same, yes?"

 _'Of course. She's what prompted this unexpected, illegal visit. She nearly attacked me and devoured me herself.'_ I chuckled at the memory fondly. I wished I was in the barn still with her to finish what we'd started.

"Then there's no problem." Isabeau promptly went back to her abandoned book.

 _'She's right,'_  chimed Jazlynne.  _'You should go, though. Your woman is waiting for you, I'm sure.'_

I winced.  _'Actually, before today, I'd planned on leaving her and she knows that. She may think I've left her for good.'_

 _'Fool.'_  Jazlynne blinked once at me and turned his back on me, choosing to give his full attention to his mate.

I was a fool, it was true. And he was right, I did need to get back, sunset being almost two hours away. Absently, I wondered what Alys was doing. I took off, flying directly up to gain altitude, and headed home.

The word home felt odd to think about. I really didn't have a home. I had my secret location where my hoard was, and I had the frequent places I stopped at when I traveled. The only place that truly felt like any type of home was simply being with Alys. I beat my wings harder, hoping to make it back to the barn just as Valek finished in it and before Alys went back.

I walked in the barn and noted that Alys wasn't present. It suited me fine because our things were still in the loft and I knew she'd have to come for them eventually. I waited below our sleeping area of last night and did more thinking. I replayed everything from the night before, starting at Alys' forceful kiss that started it all.

To break it off, I'd tried to muster anger. I'd accused her of toying with me, of using feminine wiles to convince me to stay. How ridiculous of me, seeing as I doubted she knew how to purposely use her sexuality. She'd barely spent time around any women to learn the art. Honestly, I'd been looking for an excuse. It was hard to admit, but I'd been afraid. The sole reason I stayed alone, traveling solo, was because I was no good with others. I hadn't wanted to try with anyone; too much effort. And all it took for me to break was a silly fifteen-year-old girl throwing pebbles to change all of it.

I thought of the kind of life we could live, together. It would be nearly the same. I would just have to make sure my meddling fey cousins didn't spread the word to my family. I wouldn't want them to chase after me, to brand me with exile. I could love Alys in earnest. Show her that I truly cared. Show her the love and passion I held for her.

She would need to bare my Mark.

I shuddered at the thought, at the sensuality involved. How I longed to be with Alys now. The process called for the mortal's blood to flow quickly in their veins, to make the magic race through the body. The best way to achieve that was for both parties to be aroused. Wherever I bit her would be where my Mark would flourish, spread like henna across her skin and be the origin for the magic that would soon flow through her. The pattern of the tattoo on her skin would take the shape of our relationship. The more twists, the more elaborate the pattern, the more it mean the two of us would be entwined in eternity. In turn, on the same spot on my own self would be a ring of the pattern, etched in my skin like a carving.

My Mark would give her magic that no mortal would normally have. She would be protected against fey. Against their attacks, their seductions, their tricks. The sheen of magic around her now would be intensified and the moment fey were to come across her, they would recognizer her as mine. Our minds would be linked, our emotions tied together. Her life would be prolonged, just as Isabeau's. Forever twenty and one and never ill. And never able to bear children. As a human, she wouldn't be able to have my children, she would become sterile from impregnation.

Did I have the right to take away from her the chance to have children? Wasn't that the purpose of life, not only for humans, but for all living things? Would it be selfish of me to ask her to be bonded to me for a lifetime? I could live for another several millennia and she would do the same. Would she want to live that long? She wouldn't be able to die unless I did. Did she really know what she wanted, what her passions would lead her to?

Before I could ponder more on the implications of our relationship, I heard the barn door slowly open and quickly hid before they could see me. Almost immediately I could sense that it was Alys. A moment later she walked past me carrying a stool, my presence going unnoticed. Her face was solemn, but that wasn't what caught my eye. She was wearing the dress.

Made of silk dyed black and green, it was a simplified version of what the noblewomen in the orient wore. And it was tailored perfectly to Alys' body, fitting every curve and line. She'd refused to wear it after we'd left the east, saying that it was too nice to wear while traveling, which had been true. And once we came back to this region, it was obvious that the dress would stand out, giving Alys another excuse to 'save it for another day', as she put it. I wondered idly why she chose to wear it today. Was it because she thought I'd left her? Did she wear it in mourning?

 _Ridiculous,_ I thought to myself. _That dress is for celebration and to wear with pride._

Alys shuffled around in the loft for a few minutes before slowly descending the latter. I watched her hungrily, angrily. How dare she think I'd truly leave her? Even if I had gone, I would have always been nearby. A growl slipped from me. Alys noticed and looked around.  _Yes. Find me. Come to me,_  I thought. I watched behind a support beam as she walked around the barn, checking for someone, something. When she got within arms-reach to me, I grabbed her wrist and pulled her to me. She gasped, which made me want to kiss her lips. Instead, I played it safe and settled for her neck and jaw. I wanted to hear her voice, to hear her reaction to my appearance.

"You seemed surprised that I'm here. Why?" I traced a line along her jawline. She shivered, which made me smile on her skin.

"You said you were leaving." Her voice was harsh, but breathless, which gave me hope. She'd put very little conviction in her statement.

I looked at her a moment, catching her eye, before going to her cheek. "And now I'm back, like promised." Had I been wrong this morning when I thought she'd been awake as I undressed? I could have sworn she'd been awake... "Have you rescinded your amorous declaration?"

She was hesitant, which didn't surprise me. I pulled back slightly. I had all but condemned her as a harlot in trying stave off her actions. But I could see with the look in her eyes that she still felt the same. I went back to her neck and played with her lovely hair, which was a shade of polished mahogany.

"No...But still..." Her resolve was weakening, which was good. She was grasping at straw in her attempt to be mad at me. She'd always been quick to forgive, a trait that I was thankful for.

"Still," I whispered. "Something should be done. To make sure we are never apart, yes?" She tried to pull away, but my instincts roared, telling me to pull back what was mine. My mate. "Don't walk away now, love." The words sounded so playful, despite my emotions. I breathed close to her ear, ready to whisper any answer she needed to hear. I hugged her close to me, embracing her. I chuckled at her feeble attempts to stall.

"Yellena..."

Neither Yellena or Valek believed us, which I was content with. The couple was very liberal, for their age and surroundings. And I told her so. Kissing her nose, I looked in her eyes.

"Have you really changed your mind?" I stepped back, but kept my hands on her neck, where her pulse raced. Deep down, because of all the time I'd spent as a human, I felt a sense of rejection. Was she truly rejecting me, choosing a human life instead of me?

"No. I am just worried you'll change yours. You'll get bored of the human and move on in a few years," she said indignantly. I loved when she pouted like that. I smiled and allowed a chuckle that was bubbling up to come out. "What's so funny?"

I smiled in earnest, happy. "Dragon's mate for life, love. We only fall in love once, so there's no confusion." I couldn't hold back any longer. I brought her back to me and kissed her with force. I poured all my feelings that I had held back the night before in the one kiss.

The moment my lips had touched hers, her hands quickly found a way to take off my shirt without breaking us apart, then proceeded to twine themselves in my hair. The sensation of human skin on skin was exhilarating. And while I'd only ever kissed one human, Alys, just once, this kiss seemed different. Better.

The kiss that Alys had given me last night was quick, harsh, and full of...desperation. It had been as if she'd been begging me to react, to show some emotion. Now, while this kiss was just was demanding, it seemed lighter. As if it wasn't for the sake of sanity, but rather for the pure joy of it. And while I pondered the emotions of our kiss, my hands took matters to themselves and slowly worked their way from her neck to her shoulders and slid smoothly down the silk to the small of her back, meeting with the row of buttons that held her dress together. We broke apart for a moment to breathe.

"I thought you said humans and fey couldn't mate," she accused, breathless. I took advantage of the moment and started unbuttoning the back, sliding off her dress. I was careful, not wanting to destroy the one outfit that made Alys so tempting so quickly. And I knew, despite her refusal to wear it, she loved it, too.

"I lied," I answered. At the time, it had been something mentioned in passing, from a time where I couldn't have imagined  _this_  would occur. I kissed her shoulder, basking in her natural scent. Like fresh apples and spice. I told her of how we couldn't have children. I looked her straight in the eye as I told her the news. Would she change her mind? Tell me to stop, gather her dress and march back to the house? Tell me to leave forever, as I had planned? Her reaction surprised me more than any words she could have said.

We ended up sprawled in the hay, our kissed renewed with vigor. I slid my hands on her smooth skin, reveling in the sensation. Being a human wasn't so bad...when I was with Alys at least.

I watched as Alys dozed peacefully. I was ecstatic and filled with energy. I could feel the possessive grin on my face grow as Alys sighed contentedly, moving closer to me.  _Mine_ , I thought to myself.  _My mate, my love. My Alys._

I pulled her into my arms to keep the chill from her and pondered our actions, the repercussions. It hadn't been prudent of me to take Alys so willingly when she knew next to nothing about fey, of rules. But my heart, and my body had overruled my mind, making it impossible for me to over think anything as I usually did. When she woke, I would need to tell her about fey, about dragons at least. I hadn't bonded her with me yet, unwilling to chain her to something she was ignorant to. But I was anxious to do it soon, to have her assuredly with me for eternity. Absently, I wondered if, when she finally opened her eyes, it would be easy to delay the conversation. Even for just an hour or two. I wasn't eager explain the complications our lives could take. When her eyes slowly started to open, I pitifully called myself a coward as I immediately drew the conversation into dangerous territory.

"Tired?" I asked with false innocence. I grinned roguishly.

Alys glared. "A bit. But I can't figure out why...Odd." She pretended to ponder. She stretched in the hay absently, inadvertently brushing against me. My skin tingled and I returned her glare.

"You know, I probably wouldn't have been as gentle earlier if you'd been wearing something else." I played with a strand of hair that was resting on my chest and tugged on it gently. Alys ignored this and took my other hand.

"Why's that?" She started shifting, trying to reach for her dress. I immediately pulled her back to me, as she complained of food.

"I love the way you look in it," I said simply, adding how there would most likely be food waiting later. "We only have a short time..."

Alys molded herself closer to me, shivering from the bite of the air. "For what?"

I explained of the bond and our eternal ownership of each other. She would forever be mine and I would be hers. I thrilled at the thought of an eternity with the lovely Alys. An odd look passed in her eyes as she began winding her hand in my terribly tangled hair. "What does that entail," she asked huskily.

Alys was nothing but trouble. I grinned at her and appraised the situation. Our bodies were nearly melded together, our faces inches apart. I knew immediately as she looked at me with lust that there was no way I could talk to her like this and mean it. "Well, more of this." I planted my lips on hers and kissed her hard. I pulled away, knowing it would frustrate her, and when she pouted, I chuckled. "And some of this." My hand made its way down her stomach and I played with her smooth skin.

"And?" Her breathing was becoming a little ragged, her skin was turning flush. I itched to devour her lips with mine, and she was making it more difficult to keep any self control. The need to have her again was overpowering. She clearly held all the power. A fact which I was perfectly content with.

I brushed my lips against hers. "And more..." I pushed her into the hay, laying myself atop her. It was so easy to lose my train of thought and myself with Alys. Such a dangerous creature she was...A perfect match for myself.

I thought back to the day I'd bound Alys to myself, as I was prone to do every few act itself had gone perfectly, it had been after, when Yellena had come in the barn that had been difficult and somewhat amusing. Or, rather, I thought it had been amusing, while Alys had turned a bright red and hid her face in my shoulder.

_The only thing the farm woman had said was,_

" _Well, this just confirms it...There's food sitting just outside the larder whenever the two of you decide to come back," shaking her head with a small smile._

" _Oh!" Alys squeaked, pressing her forehead further into me. When I gave in to a few chuckles, she pinched me._

" _Alys," I said, lifting her head from me. What on earth was she thinking? Did she regret us? "What's wrong?"_

_She mumbled something incoherent, which I took as a sign that she was alright. As she looked me in the eye, she spoke once more, louder. "Will this binding hurt?"_

_I wanted to honey-coat the truth, but I knew she'd see through it in an instant. I nodded. "Yes. Very much so." After a moment, I added, "I will have to be in my true form to do it, Alys." I brushed some straw from her hair, almost as if I was trying to be nonchalant about the matter. In truth, I was terrified Alys would change her mind once I became a dragon once more and came to her, glinting teeth bared..._

" _As a dragon..." she murmured. "What exactly will we be doing?"_

"I _will be a dragon, and_ you _will be a helpless, wounded maiden," I said, trying not to show how scared I was at the idea of all this. I'd forgotten to ask Jazlynne how to keep myself from devouring her whole. Damn it all to hell..._

" _Well, I think 'maiden' isn't the right word to be describing my part, Selendrile. You took care of_ that _." I glared at her as she continued. "What will you do, then?"_

_I wanted to do this delicately, but my mind failed me. Dragons simply didn't do delicate. "I will turn back into a dragon, bite you—which will cause fey...properties to mingle with your blood—and try to keep myself from eating you as your body tries to reject it (and fail, I might add), and afterwards your body will be tied to my existence. If I die, you die."_

_That was basically what would happen. No use in spilling all the dragon secrets I hadn't already divulged. Besides, lying was just something I was good at and I hadn't felt the need to do it in a while. If felt refreshing and it was best to get the need from my system before Alys was able to know I was doing it. There were many things I wouldn't be able to do without her knowing...How did Isabeau put up with Jazlynne? Would Alys put up with me as easily?_

" _What's wrong, Selendrile?" Alys asked, breaking my reverie._

" _Hmm?"_

" _I asked you a question, one that I'm sure you'd be proud of, and you just sat there like a lump. What's wrong? Are you brooding?"_

_I sniffed, offended. I wasn't brooding. Was I? Damn it. Being with Alys, spending time in human form more than anything else, was giving me those less than desirable traits of humans as well. Tit for tat, I suppose, I told myself._

" _I am merely thinking. Would you like to eat before we begin our trial, or would you rather wait it out?" Hopefully no stew will be involved, I added to myself. Humans came up with dreadful concoctions sometimes._

" _Food, please." Alys bounded up and went for her dress. I watched her greedily before donning my own clothes. Before we left the barn, Alys commanded me to get our baggage from the loft. I glared at her for a moment. "Well, it was the reason I originally came in here. You_ did _distract me." I acquiesced, seeing as her words were true...and I was much to old to be arguing like a petulant child._

The food had been stew, much to my chagrin. But making sure Alys had was happy had been my number one priority. Because of the possibility of my devouring her supple, yet soft body, I wanted to do whatever I could to make sure she knew how much I adored her. And I made sure I was able to do so without breaking from my personality. Though, I had considered several times Alys' reaction to if I'd become overly protective and treated her like precious china. That would have scared her more than ruby blood dripping from my mouth.

" _Alys, you must tell me_ now _. Are you still sure?" I sounded cold, methodical. But it was better than breaking down and begging. I still had no faith in myself._

 _She responded with a thorough kiss that left my head buzzing. "Just do this, Selendrile. Before I_ do _change my mind."_

_The more time that passed, the more my primal urges came out. The fey in me whispered for me to devour her, as young girls usually tasted the best. The dragon in me snarled that she should have already been binded to me and added to my hoard. A pretty human to top the pile of gold, jewels, and priceless relics. The human part of me, the one that only existed when I changed, told me to bed her once more and to wed her legally and true. And the small, insignificant part of me, the part I supposed humans called a conscious, told me that Alys needed to be gone, away from the world of fey before the fell to far down a poxy hole and couldn't find her way back to me._

_I squeezed Alys' hand once, then warned her just before I changed. "Alyssss..."_

_Since having Alys accompany me, I could count on each claw the number of humans I'd eaten—and had spares. The silly chit tried to get me to promise to not eat the annoying pests—after all, she was human, too—but I would be evasive and vague each time she'd mention the subject. Promises were much more binding in the world of fey. Dangerous, too. I knew she knew I hadn't promised a thing, but I was so sure she was unaware of how I tried to appeal to her wishes. I'd only really eaten those who tried to take her from me, or would come close to the truth of my form. Oh, and perhaps a womanizing Nubian prince, but no one really missed him. Much._

_The moment I tasted human flesh again, Alys, I told myself, I had to fight the urge to rip her arm off. Instead, I kept my jaws locked on the upper meat of her left appendage and held off on swallowing her blood. The moment I did that, she would be a snack. I could feel the fey bindings travel to her skin and run like wildfire through her veins. I could tell that moments after I'd bitten the human girl she'd screamed in pain and passed out, retreating to the false safety humans thought they had in their minds._

_Ironically, I could feel the darker monster waking within, vying for control. This human tasted sweet. Sweet like the honey and brown sugar cakes he'd been fed by the Orientals. Sweeter than the dull sheep and bland cattle he had to herd when the girl had him under check. And as more magic flowed from my mouth to the fragile veins under me, the resentment bubbled up. The monster within snarled, relishing in the relinquished chains that had been discarded. I fought with the beast for control. I had to remind him how the human was mine. Ours. Alys was our pet, our toy. And good fey didn't break their toys. Not right away. He snarled again, shaking in unchecked blood lust._

_Blood started trickling down my throat, cooling my own physical blood lust that I had tried hard to ignore. It made the beast roar in bliss. He wanted more and, for the briefest moments, I considered handing over the reigns and letting the beast finish what I'd started. It would be simple to bite just a fraction harder, to crush her thin bones and feast on the muscle and tissue. I growled with anticipation._

_A curdling scream brought me from the storm in my mind. I opened my eyes and saw that the human, Alys! Alys!, had awoken. Her face was contorted in pain, eyes wide shut, and she was clawing at her skin. Her skin, which had taken on a golden pallor, glowing with dragon magic. I could let go now, let the magic take over, healing her and entrapping her in the world of fey. I could. But would I? I had to, yes?_

NO! NO! MORE! _The best roared and shoved me away from the path my thoughts were taking. I stubbornly shook it off and told myself to unlock my jaw and to back away. That Alys wasn't a snack, a meal fit for the king of fey. But I could tell that the monster wasn't going to give in easily. He obstinately bit deeper, taunting me now. Alys' body shook in pain, writhing under me._

_Enraged, I jerked myself from Alys, unlocking my jaw and bringing with it a human palm-sized chunk of flesh. I whined in despair at the sight and the screech that came from Alys' small form. I quickly spat out the mouthful of blood that had pooled in my mouth, the leftovers that I had been able to keep from the beast, and tossed the dead flesh with it; I wanted nothing to do with that bit of Alys that was no longer really her. I glanced at the pained woman and saw that the flesh was already starting to fill itself it, the tissue and skin mending itself quickly._

_Once I saw her arm filling itself once more, I took stock of the rest of her state. The left side of her dress was in shreds, her pale skin covered in a mixture of slick, wet blood, and coagulating crusty remnants. Her skin still held the golden glow of magic only visible to fey, but the surface glamour was gone, embedded deep within to her core. Her face, while still contorted in pain, was showing just a sliver of relief and had a sheen of sweat. The initial marks from my mouth were fading, but the roots—the initial holes—while healed over, were the sources of the elaborate patterns and magical traces that were tracing themselves along her entire arm to her hand and up her shoulder, stopping at the column of her neck and collarbones. The swirls and henna-like pattern were unique, the mark of dragonkin woven around as a base around the individual marks that branded her as mine. Like intricate trails of hemlock woven with stardust, the olive-toned markings stood out beautifully against her milky skin, shot through with a faint streak of gold._ _The barn was silent now, save for the labored breaths of Alys, and the anxious growls from myself. It took several heartbeats, but Alys finally opened her eyes, sitting up slowly._

'What happened to my dress!?'  _Alys thought, fingering the remnants of silk sadly._

_The fact that I could hear her thoughts could only mean one thing—the binding had worked successfully. Thank the gods. I shuddered in relief and immediately changed into human form, spent. I felt to my knees, and, so human-like, crawled over to my mate. She kept her eyes on me the entire time._

'Your dress...got in the way, Alys,'  _I said to her sheepishly, testing out our connection._

_Her eyes widened and darted between my lips and eyes, confused. "Did you just speak?"_

_I nodded. "Yes. We've an unbreakable mental connection now. In time, we can learn to block each other out, but it will always be there."_

_Alys remained quiet and I spent the silence exploring the surface of her mind, the thoughts that jumped out without probing. Her mind was chaotic and a jumbled mess. And it reflected her stubborn mouth. Pure, intentional, and unbelievably Alys. My inner human was preening at the new intimacy._

'The Mark? Is this is?' _Alys asked silently, trailing her trembling fingers along her arm, following the organic trails._

'Yes. It reflects our bond, the connection. And it's a symbol of Protection.'  _I allowed my fingers to follow hers in awe. "Mine," I growled, aloud..._

* * *

 

"Did you just say something, Selendrile?" Alys looked away from the St. George painting she'd been observing for the umpteenth time.

I brought myself from my reverie and shook my head.  _'Just reminding myself that you're mine,'_  I thought, leering discreetly. Alys looked around and waited for the school group to shuffle to the next gallery before sidling up next to me and returning my look, not bothering to be shy about it.

 _'Yours,'_  she agreed.  _'But don't get cocky. You're_ mine.  _What were you thinking, really? Don't make me pry it from you.'_

" _Pry_  it from me?" I scoffed aloud. "I doubt that."

Alys just shrugged and walked away, trying to act innocent but failing miserably with each sway of her hips. I growled under my breath, watching ever move she made as she went back to the art.  _'Ma cheri_ _é_ _, petite succubus.'_ I let the thought caress her consciousness, knowing it would irritate her as much as it would goad her. An old joke from the 1600s. It was only a moment's quiet before she replied, voice reeking of lust and ire.

_'Nous verrons_ _juste tenter comment je peux être_ _, d_ _é_ _mon.'_

I grinned cheekily. The next few weeks would be interesting. Boring humans, indeed. The fey didn't know what they were missing.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find me on Tumblr as velvetcovered-brick!
> 
> There are bonus scenes and outtakes that can only be found with original on FF.net, so if you're interested in those, please head over there. My penname there is also itakethewords.


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